National Black Justice Coalition Mourns the Death of Skylar Heath

Washington - December 2, 2020 -- The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) mourns the death of Skylar Heath.

Skylar Heath, a 20-year-old Black transgender woman, was killed in Miami, Florida on November 4, 2020 from a reported gunshot wound. There has been a gap in the timing concerning reports of her death because of unanswered questions and a lack of clear details. Her death is now being investigated as a homicide.

Family and friends gathered on November 21 to celebrate Skylar's life. She has been remembered as a kind and gentle soul with a warm personality who loved her family and close friends dearly.

"We now have a record of 46 murdered trans, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary kin in 2020 and there are still weeks that remain in the calendar year," said NBJC's executive director David J. Johns. "More than half of the victims (61%) are Black trans women, 85% are trans women of any race, and more than half are under the age of 30. We know that a key issue is stigma and shame around gender, sex, and sexuality.

"We have to help people accept themselves and their desires. We have to normalize love of and for Black trans people. We have to speak up when we see incidents of violence, ignorance, harassment, and trauma. We have to stop this violence."

Violence against trans, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary people in the US this year has far surpassed prior years on record. In 2020, an average of four murders have been reported for each month, with a serious spike during summer.

"No member of the community is immune," continued Johns. "Even Laverne Cox, actress and trans activist, was recently the victim of a transphobic attack. What we have is an epidemic of violence that is not being addressed effectively at any level. It is crucial that protective legislation be passed, that we ramp up educational efforts to eliminate stigma, and that we don't wait until people are a news headline to care."

To get involved in changing your local laws, you can learn more here. To learn how to increase safety and inclusion, look here.

Anyone with information on the death of Skylar Heath has been asked to contact Miami Police Department Homicide Detective A. Gonzalez at 305-471-2400 or Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.

The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) is America's leading civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and same gender loving (LGBTQ/SGL) people, including people living with HIV.